WOMEN IN SECURITISATION: Visions, ambitions and motivations
The Australian Securitisation Forum’s Women in Securitisation (WIS) subcommittee seeks to provide a range of opportunities to assist the growth and success of the securitisation industry, particularly in relation to the contribution women can make. The subcommittee is proud to present a profile of each of its 10 members, including a comment from each about what the WIS vision means to them individually. MARY PLOUGHMAN (CHAIR) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RESIMAC WIS’s illustrious chairperson and its passionate founder, Mary is a well-known and loved leader in the securitisation industry. She has not only driven change for women but is credited with supporting and improving the securitisation industry throughout her 13-year tenure at Resimac and, prior to this, during the 11 years she spent at Macquarie Bank. From very early on in her career, Mary has worked tirelessly for a fair and level playing field for women. One of her many accomplishments is WIS, which she established in an effort to change the way people think about women in business and the way women think about themselves. “The key goal is to empower women,” she tells ASJ. “I am keen to see more choices in service providers and a more level playing field across the board.”
ANNY CHEN SENIOR ASSOCIATE, KING & WOOD MALLESONS Anny specialises in securitisation and structured finance at King & Wood Mallesons, where she has worked since 2007. She has a three-year old son and a new baby, and Anny says being a mother has been a key motivator behind her WIS subcommittee membership. In addition to her strong belief that WIS should support flexibility for working mothers, Anny is keen to see the subcommittee help women to “be brave and take charge of their careers”. Anny believes change is needed
in the industry and insists WIS can bring this about. “We exist, and we cannot be ignored,” she tells ASJ. As well as WIS, Anny is also a member of the ASF Communication subcommittee.
BELINDA SMITH Belinda has worked in debt capital markets for the last 20 years, having diverse experience across treasury, trust management, debt issuance, credit analysis and investment management. Most recently Belinda was general manager of Perpetual’s management-services area, and she has also worked in the securitisation and structured-finance markets in the UK and Japan. Belinda is extremely keen to create a community and environment where women can feel heard and encouraged, and believes that more women in senior positions are necessary for the securitisation industry in Australia to flourish. Three of her former bosses – Mary Ploughman, Chris Dalton and Fabienne Michaux – are Belinda’s career mentors. “They taught me how to be commercial, build strong networks and relationships, and constantly showed their confidence in me. Most importantly, they each have a strong moral compass, which I highly value.”
CARLY PRIOR VP, STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST Members of the WIS subcommittee feel privileged to have Carly in their ranks. She is a credit analyst for State Street Bank and Trust (State Street)’s investment portfolio in the Asia-Pacific region. The firm’s A$4 billion (US$3 billion) Australian portfolio consists predominantly of assetbacked and residential mortgage-backed securities. Carly talks passionately about her support for women in the workplace, and she believes significant change is needed. For women to have parental leave and work part-time is not as widely supported as Carly believes it ought to be. “I would also like to see more acceptability and expectation of men working this way in support of their families,” she tells ASJ. Carly mentions Melissa Marzulli, State Street’s former managing director and treasurer, as a great source of professional support throughout her career. “Melissa is an inspiration to many women in the securitisation industry,” she says. 37